Dragon Goby

[DragonFish71]

So my dream of having a tank for dragon gobys is still a possibility. I've done lots of research on them and have given it months of thought.

Here's my ideas, and please, anyone who has ideas chime in, that's why I'm posting.

I was thinking a 75 gallon tank with the fluval 405 (rated for 100 gal), a heater, light, air stones etc. (the 125 might be too much tank for me)

They like sand substrate, so I was thinking pool sand. My only problem is the color. I would like the violet/blueish color of the goby to stand out, which I'm not sure if it would with the pool sand. Would regular black sand for aquariums work just as well or does it need to be a looser sand like the pool sand? Or should I go with something like the Activ-flora substrate?

What are the best plants for a brackish set up?

What would be compatable brackish fish? I know mollies can acclimate to brackish and full salt, so I thought a few of them would go nicely. The dragon gobys aren't much of a predator, more of a scavanger. I had thought about a green puffer but I know they can be agressive and get too big for the tank.

Will the fluval work fine for a brackish set up? If I remember right, some people use them on SW set ups, I'd like to know what to watch out for.

 

[melosu58]

I`m glad you posted this. I cant help much because I`m a saltie but I keep telling folks that a dragon goby is a FW or brackish fish and they want to keep calling it a SW fish. The bullet goby is the one they confuse to be a dragon goby. Well anyway thanks for the post and good luck on your endeavor.

 

[FishEggs]

i dont know about brackish set ups either but i believe canister filters are fine with them. they just tend to produce a lot of nitrate which is more undesirable in saltwater set ups.
you can try to find 3m color quartz in black. i think you would have to get this from a pool supply or repair place.

 

[Aquarium1]

Hey, good job on the research. Here are some brackish plants.
BracPlants
Wish you luck, as I don't know much about dragon gobys, but keep us posted.
EDIT in case you need it Dragon goby care: http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball, Dragon Goby.htm

 

[kaiofcanada]

I am not sure about dyed sand. I am not very trusting if dyed sand substrates. Having said that I am not an expert in sand...so hopefully one of the gurus will chime in on that.

As far as compatible brackish tankmates, I must plug my favourite little puffers relatives...the figure 8 puffers. They eat the same diet of blackworms and high protein beefheart and brine shrimp. They also prefer the same temp and brackish waters. And it is amusing that they are equally as grumpy with age as dragon gobies .

Some other brackish water fish to consider, although I know less about their compatibility with dragon gobies are needlenose gar (might get too big for 75 gal, but not sure), columbian shark, silver tipped sharks, and black finned sharks. I also have a friend who keeps his with bumblebee gobies but as they have gotten older they are all very grumpy together and they are always rearranging their homes and deciding that each other is imposing on the others space. It's really funny to watch. They don't do much harm to each other...but they do fight alot.

 

[DragonFish71]

I`m glad you posted this. I cant help much because I`m a saltie but I keep telling folks that a dragon goby is a FW or brackish fish and they want to keep calling it a SW fish. The bullet goby is the one they confuse to be a dragon goby. Well anyway thanks for the post and good luck on your endeavor.

Thanks.

I'm sure it's the "goby" part that makes some think they are all SW. Thouhg from the research I've done, the dragon goby can be acclimated over a long period of time to full SW. That could also be where they get the idea.

 

[DragonFish71]

Hey, good job on the research. Here are some brackish plants.
BracPlants
Wish you luck, as I don't know much about dragon gobys, but keep us posted.
EDIT in case you need it Dragon goby care: Caring for your new dragon goby, Gobioides brousonetti, with pictures

Thanks.

I believe in doing as much research when I'm interested in something different. I'm the kind that wants to mimic the natural conditions as close as possible. Sadly the dragon gobys are sold as FW needing some salt when they really should be kept brackish even in the LFS. And they wonder why they never live long! I know it will be a long day acclimating one to brackish conditions but I'm prepared for that. That aqualandpetsplus page is actually the first page I found on them last year when I first became interested.

Thanks for the brackish link. That will help tons.

 

[DragonFish71]

i dont know about brackish set ups either but i believe canister filters are fine with them. they just tend to produce a lot of nitrate which is more undesirable in saltwater set ups.
you can try to find 3m color quartz in black. i think you would have to get this from a pool supply or repair place.

Do you have a picture link for the 3m color quartz?

 

[Aquarium1]

Thanks.

I believe in doing as much research when I'm interested in something different. I'm the kind that wants to mimic the natural conditions as close as possible. Sadly the dragon gobys are sold as FW needing some salt when they really should be kept brackish even in the LFS. And they wonder why they never live long! I know it will be a long day acclimating one to brackish conditions but I'm prepared for that. That aqualandpetsplus page is actually the first page I found on them last year when I first became interested.

Thanks for the brackish link. That will help tons.

your welcome. Yeah sadly I saw a dragon goby at my lfs just sitting there on a gravel bottom in a FW tank. I feel sory for it and hope it doesn't go to some neglecting person who puts it in a FW 10g.

 

[DragonFish71]

I am not sure about dyed sand. I am not very trusting if dyed sand substrates. Having said that I am not an expert in sand...so hopefully one of the gurus will chime in on that.

As far as compatible brackish tankmates, I must plug my favourite little puffers relatives...the figure 8 puffers. They eat the same diet of blackworms and high protein beefheart and brine shrimp. They also prefer the same temp and brackish waters. And it is amusing that they are equally as grumpy with age as dragon gobies .

Some other brackish water fish to consider, although I know less about their compatibility with dragon gobies are needlenose gar (might get too big for 75 gal, but not sure), columbian shark, silver tipped sharks, and black finned sharks. I also have a friend who keeps his with bumblebee gobies but as they have gotten older they are all very grumpy together and they are always rearranging their homes and deciding that each other is imposing on the others space. It's really funny to watch. They don't do much harm to each other...but they do fight alot.

We used a black sand/activ-flora mix in our 40g and I redid our 10g with the leftover black sand. It's aquarium safe. My question was more based around colors and a looser substrate since they like to root around in the sand.

Dragon gobys are not a "grumpy" fish. They are very mild, preferring to hide until dark and can get beaten up by more aggressive fish. Which nixs the idea of puffers. Too small a puffer and it might get eaten, to big a puffer and the goby would get picked on. I have logged many hours observing them in LFS surroundings (yep, sad I know) to see how they interact with each other and whatever critters are with them. Gars and sharks are too aggressive as well. Thanks for the ideas though.

 

[Aquarium1]

another brackish fish would be a bumblebee goby, but I don't know that compatibility with them. Here's some more brackish fish Brackish Fish: Brackish Water Fish for Brackish Aquariums and Tanks

 

[kaiofcanada]

Black sand I am familiar with as safe...just never seen violet sand....

as for the "grumpy" comment. I was referring to the exact behaviour you have described. The somewhat elusive and reclusive behaviour. The hiding and preference to be alone or with other gobies. In the case of bumble bee gobies....they like moving homes, which can displace dragon gobies from their usualy hiding places. They get along well as I said. My friend has kept his dragon gobies with bumble bees and puffers for 8 years. His oldest goby is 8 years old and is a magnificant old guy. The gobies and puffers actually don't bother each other.

 

[Tony Gill]

I have a Gobioides of about 12 inches in an aquarium with glassfish. I mainly feed them shrimp pellets, which break down quickly into smaller particles. The glassfish (some of which are under an inch) follow the goby around and pick up any bits that are kicked up into the water column. The tank has a play sand substrate, with several rocks and a fairly light planting. The goby spends a lot of time sifting sand - with its little entourage of glassfish hanging around for tidbits. I use only tapwater, which in the Phoenix area is very hard. (The local drainage is the Salt River!)

Tony

 

[Etunes]

another brackish fish would be a bumblebee goby, but I don't know that compatibility with them. Here's some more brackish fish Brackish Fish: Brackish Water Fish for Brackish Aquariums and Tanks

Bumblebee gobies do fine with dragon gobies. Just be careful with the bumblebee gobies because they tend to be nippie at other fish. But they are fine with dragon gobies though.

A Dragon goby should NOT be kept in a FW aquarium. They need to have the salt in there aquarium. They are a brackish water fish.

 

[DragonFish71]

Black sand I am familiar with as safe...just never seen violet sand....

as for the "grumpy" comment. I was referring to the exact behaviour you have described. The somewhat elusive and reclusive behaviour. The hiding and preference to be alone or with other gobies. In the case of bumble bee gobies....they like moving homes, which can displace dragon gobies from their usualy hiding places. They get along well as I said. My friend has kept his dragon gobies with bumble bees and puffers for 8 years. His oldest goby is 8 years old and is a magnificant old guy. The gobies and puffers actually don't bother each other.

I was meaning the violet/blue color of the dragon goby itself. I want a substrate that will compliment it's coloring, not wash it out. Which is why I was asking about pool sand because I had only seen it in white-ish.

Ok, I wouldn't have used grumpy to describe them, that's why I took it the wrong way. Grumpy more describes one of our female bettas *lol*

 

[DragonFish71]

another brackish fish would be a bumblebee goby, but I don't know that compatibility with them. Here's some more brackish fish Brackish Fish: Brackish Water Fish for Brackish Aquariums and Tanks

Great link, thanks again.

I had thought about the bumblebees but found through research they can get nippish. Of course, you know as well as I that each fish has a different personality. Like my LFS told me that our hatchet fish in our 29 might get too aggressive with our new Forktail rainbowfish (pseudomugil furcatus)
That hasn't happened though. The hatchets are happy at the top of the tank, the forktails stay about mid-level. Guess that's why I do so much research before I get something I'm unfamiliar with.

 

[DragonFish71]

I have a Gobioides of about 12 inches in an aquarium with glassfish. I mainly feed them shrimp pellets, which break down quickly into smaller particles. The glassfish (some of which are under an inch) follow the goby around and pick up any bits that are kicked up into the water column. The tank has a play sand substrate, with several rocks and a fairly light planting. The goby spends a lot of time sifting sand - with its little entourage of glassfish hanging around for tidbits. I use only tapwater, which in the Phoenix area is very hard. (The local drainage is the Salt River!)

Tony

The glassfish wouldn't work in this case though because I am going brackish. I plan to spend all day acclimating the goby to the proper brackish conditions their are found in. Thanks for the idea though

 

[DragonFish71]

Bumblebee gobies do fine with dragon gobies. Just be careful with the bumblebee gobies because they tend to be nippie at other fish. But they are fine with dragon gobies though.

A Dragon goby should NOT be kept in a FW aquarium. They need to have the salt in there aquarium. They are a brackish water fish.

Agreed on the dragon goby. However most LFSs do sell them as FW so they have been acclimated to FW not brackish or even having some salt. Which is why when/if we do this tank, I'm going to make sure it's as close to the natural setting for the goby as I can. I really lay the blame on the LFS. They should keep these critters in the way they are supposed to be kept, not just toss them into "normal" tank conditions. Our favorite LFS has a brackish section and I commend them for that. Our Petsmart, PetCo and Walmart don't, but the lable for the dragon goby does mention they need salt. Doesn't say they are brackish, just that they need salt. Which is better than nothing I suppose. It was seeing these awesome critters in Walmart, looking pale and scared that got me wanting to set up a good home for 1 or 2.

And don't even get me started on the rights of Arowanas *Growls*